The other night, while grocery shopping after the kids were in bed, I saw what was the perfect example of "what is wrong" with our relationship with food in North America. What I saw was so alarming and yet so everyday that it struck me; the problem is actually quite straight-forward. And the solutions are simpler than we have imagined.
While lining up to pay, there were two women (a mom and adult daughter with children at home by what I could tell) in front of me with a cart full of groceries. And as I watched the items get unloaded onto the belt, I realized that every single thing was processed food. Not one piece of fresh food. The closest thing was a loaf of white processed bread. No dairy, egss, meat, vegetables, fruit. Not even a frozen or canned version of something resembling one of these items. And the saddest part was they were obviously shopping for children too- some gummy "fruit" snacks, drink boxes of "juice", "cereal", etc. It was actually heart-breaking. Their groceries came to over $250.
Then there was me. I didn't have much in my basket- shoes for my kids, organic yoghurt, and cheese.
The lady behind me had another cart full of food. Eggs, bread, vegetables, fruit, canned beans, household products, meat, cottage cheese, and pasta. In other words, mostly whole, real food. She didn't have anything that was an overly processed, packaged food.
The issues with the food industry, how they came about, and how we are eating now is very complex. It involves politics (mostly), socio-economic issues, health policies, well, you name it. But what struck me about the shopping carts in line was that it comes down to a few simple things: education (what is in food, how its made, what it does to you) and practical skills (how to shop for quality food, how to prepare and cook it). There is no shortage of good information out there on all these topics. So why aren't some people getting this information?
I think (and I will briefly touch on this but could seriously write a book on it) there are a few reasons. Firstly, I think there is a trend (and of course there are examples otherwise) that women with families now had mothers who worked in and out of the home, embracing shopping and cooking that was easier and faster and simply more convenient. Nothing inherantly wrong with needing to do that. As well, women with families now are working more than ever. Often two jobs outside the home or a full-time job and home business, oh and raise a family and care for a home and feed people. I think the workload for women, with all the modern conveniences we now have, has increased exponentially. (again, I am sure some brilliant researcher and author has captured this idea somehwere, I am just thinking out loud).
So we have women who may not have had a mom cooking at a stove teaching them the fundamentals of presoacking beans, to eating fast food as they motor through university and college degrees, work more hours than ever, and are caring for children in a pretty complex environment, sustaining marriages, commiting to their communities, starting small businesses, walking the dog, doing it al because DAMMIT we can do it all! Its exhasuting just writing about it. No wonder we didn't have time to learn to grocery shop and cook healthy food. Especially when we can drive up to Walmart and buy everything we need while getting the tires changed.
We all know what is happening to the state of human health in North America. Even if you only believe the mainstream health world, you know things are bad. Heart disease is killing a lot of women. And if you believe in alternative medicine, which is becoming more mainstream, there are so many things to be cautious of (the link of pesticides, etc to hormone based cancers, for example- ie. the idea that conventional food causes cancer). I think it is safe to say that most of us know that how and what we are eating is making us sick. (and not just what you put on your fork, but the production of food and its impact on the environment)
Back to the shopping carts at the grocery store. I believe that with every food purchase we make, we vote. I truly believe that the food we consume is the most powerful vote in the world right now. It has more impact on your health, the environment, and society than the car you drive and the gas you buy. It has more influence than marking an X on a ballot. You vote with every bite. You are saying, Yes, I support socially responsible, environmentally sustainable, local business, farmers, food producers with ethics and heart and a love for food. You are saying, NO, I won't consume food that is 100% harmful to my childrens' health and will cause years of miserable disease.
It really starts with making choices. We have more food choices than ever. If you want to choose food that is better for you, your family, the environment, and the world, learn about all the good food that is available to you. Ask questions. Start simple- change one thing (when I started eating organic I started with milk, and have added from there). There are hundreds of good books and websites on quality food. (http://www.michaelpollan.com/ , http://www.foodincmovie.com/ - watch this movie! - just to name a few) If you don't know where to start, think of what your priorities are: your health, the environment, social change- and then make a few changes from there. Whatever you do, don't bite off more than you can chew.
So, what's in your shopping cart?
ps. if you think its too expensive to eat healthy vs. fast food and convenience food I have a few ideas on that in my next blog post.
